If you’ve lived or worked in Dubai for any length of time, you’ve almost certainly passed through a medical fitness centre, sometimes more than once. New job? Medical test. Visa renewal? Medical test. Switching employers, getting a business license, sponsoring dependants, or updating residency status? Medical test again. That repetition is exactly what makes this business commercially distinctive. Medical fitness testing in Dubai isn’t discretionary healthcare; it’s a mandatory public-health checkpoint built into the immigration and labour system.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of residency visas are issued or renewed across the UAE, each tied to a standardised medical fitness requirement. Add the fact that over 88% of Dubai’s population consists of expatriates, and you’re looking at a steady, non-seasonal demand cycle that doesn’t depend on marketing trends or consumer sentiment. You could be expanding an existing healthcare services business or setting up a dedicated, high-throughput medical testing centre. Either way, this is a process-led operation where accuracy, speed, and compliance matter more than branding.
Whether you’re serving individual visa applicants, handling bulk testing for employers, or positioning yourself as a reliable checkpoint in Dubai’s residency pipeline, operating legally starts with one non-negotiable step: securing the correct Medical Fitness Centre business license in Dubai.
Medical Fitness Center – 8690.85
This business activity allows you to operate a licensed medical fitness centre that conducts mandatory health examinations required for UAE residency and employment processes. These are standardised, non-diagnostic screenings prescribed by government authorities. The role of the centre is assessment and reporting, not treatment, diagnosis, or care planning.
Under this business activity you can:
- Conduct approved medical fitness tests such as blood tests and chest X-rays
- Process individuals undergoing visa- or employment-related medical screening
- Manage appointments, testing flow, and daily volumes
- Maintain medical records and reports in line with health authority standards
- Employ licensed medical and technical staff
- Submit test results through authorised government systems
You could be running a standalone medical fitness centre serving individual applicants and employers directly, focused on fast turnaround times and tight scheduling. Or, you could be building a corporate-focused facility that handles bulk testing for labour-intensive industries or large employers. Think of even integrating a medical fitness unit into a broader healthcare group, provided the business activity remains clearly segregated and licensed within its defined scope.
However, there are boundaries. You can’t engage in the production of artificial teeth, dentures, and prosthetic appliances by dental laboratories, inpatient hospital activities, or paramedical activities such as those of midwives, nurses, and physiotherapists.
Third-Party Approval:
Third-party approval from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is required before the trade license is issued.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance:
Business activity 8690.85 is exempt from this requirement.
